Game apparatus



Jan. [9, 194o R. w. MILLER GAME VAIPVARA'JUS Filed Jan. 20. 1958 llh ill" l u" "g un. m4 l sem,

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APatented Jan. 9,1.940 I *PAT-ENT OFFICE n GAME APPARATUS y u Roy. Miller, BarbertonQOhio Applicazien January 2o, 1938, serial No. 185,897r

` eoiaims.' fonzie-"145i This .invention relates 'to gameappar'atus, and more especially it relates to game apparatus'of the type wherein" small playing pieces each having a plurality lof faces with different indicia thereon,

such as dice,.are agitated; or impelledwithinav limited space and then allowed tov lcome 'torest 1n chance arrangement, with the `probability that the uppermost` facesy of the several playing pieces will present different' combinations of indicia than v .was present before the 'pieces were agitated or impelled.` The invention also contemplates that the relative positions or succession of the. indicia on the .playing pieces'maybe a factor in .deter- ,mining the valuevof.l eachthrow or'agitation of the pieces, and for Vthis reason the apparatus provides individual,transparent cages or receptacles for the several playing" pieces', which receptacles are arranged ina leior row. 'I f The chief object-of the inventionis to-provide. improved apparatus by means of which apluralityv.`

of playing pieces arranged in a `row may be -concurrently and `individually agitated or impelled., v

Another object is to *providecushioning means against `whichfth'e impelled playing lpieces will strike; before returning tovfstationary.position manifest as the specification proceeds. u l Of the accompanying drawing'f'. .p i y. Figure 1 is a side' elevation of thev invention, in

its preferred form; f i

, FigurefSisa ysection on the llinea-430i' Fig. 2; f Figure 4` is' a section, on a vlarger scale, on the line 474, of Figk2;'and l Figure 5 is ansection,

u Referring to the "drawing it willzbe,y seen 'that the apparatus comprisesa hollow base member III that is providedjir/ith` a top` cover UII and a bot-f tom closureIvZ..` vThe top cover'II is securedto the base membenjby means of' a plurality of screws, rsuch as the-screw I3, (Fig.f2) disposed -interiorly of the base member, andthe bottom 2 cover is secured tothe latter by means of screws 'that are associated with rubber pads I4 that` con-l stitute supports 'fonthe apparatus." The top face of the top cover. I I v:isfforrried 'with'a plurality of circular r'ecfessesfl5,` I5', herein'fshownas 'five in number, which recesses are in. lateral alignment longitudinally 44of 'the' cover.`I lIn theihottom of each recess I5`is'an, annular washer l'ofresilient f rubber composition; and restingj with'its' lower `edge upon y'said washeni's a' `tubular ca'ge .I1 oi transparent material',"sucl'ogas glas'sf,'thepermeter .Y fgure 2 isa Vertical longitudinalsection:there:

larger' scalegon the 'of the cage fitting snugly against the wall of the -recess. The upper ends of the cages I1 support a .cap plate I8th`at constitutesa closureior the several cages,`the"under sidev of said cap plate Y.

being; formed with a plurality of circular recesses IS', i9 in which the cages snuglyt. Between the'l top of `each cage Iz1and the" bottom of 'each f recess I9 isa pad 20 of resilient material such as v rubber, 'which /pads' .servefto compensate for irregularity in the height of the cages I1 or depth of the recesses I9, and also'serve as abutments against; whi'chplaying pieces may-impinge dur ing operation of the apparatus. is retained in-place by means'of headed posts 2I, l2| that .extend through said plate, .at opposite The cap plate I8 coy/'erIL-fv y f Inthe bottom 'of each 'cage I1 is a` dished. or `concave'piston or platform 24 that is carried upon ends thereof,` and are'threadedinto the basetheuppe'r end 'ofanfimpactmember consisting of `vertical rod 'or steml 25, the latter being slidablyreceived in abore 26 that extends through' baseycover II. lvI Belovv' the cover `I I, interiorly 4of `the base, each pistonfste'm 25 carries al'compression spring '21 ythat bears against the under side of cover II `and against a Washer 28 mounted upon the 'stem; theI arrangement being such afsnor# mally'to urge the stern downwardly. Theresilient washers I6 fin the bottom of recesses IElimit the downwardmovement of thestems 25' under the impetus ofsprings 21 by engagement with the pistons 24 on the upper ends of said stems. -'I'hel lower end of each stem 25 normally hears against a strikingbar y29 that extends longitudinally of the apparatus, and isosupported, adjacent its ends,.by`a pair of armsil', 3D that'are mounted upon a lr'ock-sha'ft'SI (FigpS) that `is 'journaled at `its ends in al pairroffbrackets 32, 32. The latter are formed on the.l under yside'of cover II', vand `extendv downwardly `therefrom,` a short tance from the vrespective ends thereof. `Re- I diss'pective tensionspi'ings' 33, 33 connected to the 'free lends of armsal! and to fixed points on the under side-of cover II normally urge thestriking..

bar 29, "carried by said arms, upwardly against "the endsgofithe :several stems 25,` the uppermost u.

position of thev striking bar being' determined by an undercut abutment 34 on each bracket 32, k which.y 'abutments project 'into' the pathvl of j s aid v striking bari`- Whenv the striking bar is. against ,abutments 34', thestems .25 resting -on said bar support' the pistons 24 a little above theresilient 'J'ou'rnal'ed in brackets 32, 'parallel te rock-shaft washers II` inl the'bottomofthe cages I1, as y shown in Figs. Zand 3.'l

3| and somewhat above the latter, is an o-perating shaft 35 that extends through the base member lll, at one end thereof, and exteriorly of said base is provided with an operating lever or handle 31. The shaft 31E is oscillated by means of the handle 3l', but angular movement of the shaft is limited to '72 degrees. To this end collars 3S, 38 are mounted upon the shaft, beside the respective brackets 32, in such a manner as to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft, each of said collars being formed with a radial proiection 38a.v Each bracket 32 is formed withv a laterally projecting abutment 39'that extends into the path of the-projection 33a of a collar 38, the latter being so angularly positioned'on the shaft that one abutment 39 limits the angular movement of the shaft 36 in one direction and the other abutment limits its 'angular movement in the other direction. The shaft-3G is yieldingly urged to the normal, inoperative position shown in the drawing by. means ofa tensionfspring lill that is connected at Vone end to a fixed point on the cover il and at its other end is connected to the free end of a stud 4l that projects radially from said shaft.v

Angular movement of the shaft in clockwise direction as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, 'againsty end a star wheel l2 is journaled upon shaft said star wheel consisting of five arms, the leading margins of which constitute slightly arcuate cams, the trailing margins ofthe arms being radial with relation to the shaft. One end of the striking bar 29 projects into the path of the arms of the star wheel 4t2, with the result that during rotary movement of thestar wheel, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. li, the leading y edge of one of its arms will force` the striking arm downwardly, against the tension of springs 33, until the end of the arm passes the bar, the latter then being quickly restored. to its upper normal position by said springs. The star wheel is advanced the distance of one arm, or 72 degrees, each time the shaft 356 is turned angularly by movement of the vhandle 37 from the. position shown in Fig. 3 to avpositionl to the kright thereof. To prevent reverse movement of the star wheel when the handle is returnedto the position illustrated, and to prevent over-run of the star wheel lwhenever it is rotated, a ratchet 44 that is concentric with the shaft 36 is mounted upon-one side of the star wheel so as to rotatetherewith, said ratchet being engaged by a stop pawl '45 consisting of `leaf spring that bears frictionally against the ratchet teeth, said pawl being attached to the cover H` by a screw 45:01' the like.

' lFor turning the star wheel 42 angularly whenever the shaft 3B is'turned in clockwise direction as viewed in Zl. a five-tooth ratchet-til is to the free endof a shortarm 50 that projects radially and horizontally from a collar 5I that is xed upon shaft 355, beside ratchet e8'. The arrangement is such thatl rotation of shaft 3.6 `in counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in' Fig. 5, will cause feed pawlfi to rotate ratchet i8 and with it the star wheel 42 and* ratchet 44 that are united therewith. A guard plate 52 is mounted over the `reed pawl klli), by

indicia may be the same as, found on certain playing cards. The cagesy may be consecutively numbered, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the order in which the various indicia appear onthe playing piece may be a factor in determining thev value of the throw of the pieces, if desired.

The operation of the apparatus requires only that the handle 3l be moved to the right, from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the limit of its movability, and thereafter released, whereupon the handle automatically returns to point of .n

starting.` As the handle is moved to theright as aforementioned, the pawl 49 turns the ratchet 48 and with it the ratchet 44 and star wheel 42 through an angle of '72 degrees. f As the star wheel rotates, the arm thereof that is in engagement with striking Lbar 29 moves the latter downwardly about rock-shaft 3| as an axis, with the result that the striking bar is withdrawn from engagement with the lower ends of piston stems 25,v the springs 27 thereby being enabled to move said stems downwardly until the pistons 24 rest upon the rubber washers l.- The striking bar continues to move downwardly to a point well below the ends of the depressed stems ,25' before the arm or' the star wheel passes out of engagement therewith. As soon as the star wheel arm is out of engagement with the striking bar, springs 33 quickly move the latter back to normal positionagainst the abutments` 34 of brackets 32. `Before striking the abutments 34 "the strikingbar strikes the lower ends of the depressed stems 25'and'vio1ently impels them upwardly,against the force of their springs 27, with the result that the pistons 24 are similarly impelled and thus toss the playing pieceste upwardly. v'I'he upward movement of the stems 25 is limited by the springs 21 thereon, when the latter are fully compressed. The upwardly moving playingy pieces strike 'the resilient pads 2B inthe -top of the cages, and then return by gravity onto their pistons.' The presence of the pads 20 makes Yfor quietness of 4operation and results in less wear upon the playing pieces. The playing pieces fallin chance arrangement upon the pistonsfand the value `of the indicia exposed on i the upper faces ofthe playing pieces, or the consecutive order of said-indicia longitudinally of the apparatus, determine the value of the throw according .to the rules of the'game. The pistons are impelled upwardly substantially at the end of the operative rthrow of the handle'l, andthe latter :may then be released so as to return 4to inoperative position by reason of the tension ofy spring 4l).` Return ofthe handle 3l reverses Y .the angular movement .of the operating 4shaft 36,

but the star wheel 42 and yratchets 44 and 4.8 remain stationary-by reason of the engagement of stop pawl 45 with ratchet 44. Return of the shaft 3116l also retracts feed pawl 49 so-that it drops behind the succeeding tooth of ratchet 48. This completes a cycle of operation which may be repeated as desired.

The deviceisrelatively simple in construction,

it does notyrequire the use'iofl a coin to effect operation, and it achievesr the other objects set out in the foregoing statement of objects. i

Modification may be resorted to without de- 1 parting from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game apparatus, thecombination of a 4 plurality of pistons vfor supporting playing pieces,.respective vertical stems upon the upper ends of which said pistons are mounted, seats l for said pistons, yielding means on said stems normally 'urging said pistons against lsaid seats, a striking bar common to the several stems engageable with the lowerends thereof, yielding means urging said striking bar against a positive stop in which position the pistons are elevated abovetheir seats, and means for retracting said striking bar and then releasing it so that it strikes said stems and'impels them upwardly.

2.` Ina game apparatus, ,the combination of a plurality ofjpistons for supporting playingl pieces,frespective vertical stems supporting said pistons upon their upper ends, a horizontal striking bar common to the several stems engageable with the lower lends thereof, yielding means normally urging said striking bar toward the stemends, a manually operable shaft parallel to said supporting bar,anda star wheel on said shaft engageable with said striking bar for retracting the latter against said yielding means, and'then releasing it to enable it to strike said stem-ends when said shaft is turned angularly upon its axis.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a plurality of pistons for supporting playing pieces,respective vertical stems supporting said, lpistonsvupon their upper ends, a horizontal striking bar common to the several stems engageable with the lower ends thereof, yielding means` normally urging said striking bar toward the stem-y ends, a manually oscillatable shaft parallel to said supporting bar, a star wheel journaled upon said shaft engageable with said striking bar for retracting the latter against said yielding means and then releasingy it to enable it to strike saidy stem-ends, andmeans operatively interposed between the star wheel and its shaft for driving the star wheel only when the shaft is oscillated in one direction. v

4; A combination as dened in claim 3 inwhich the last mentioned means comprises a pawll fixed to the shaft and aratchet xed to the star wheel.

5. In a gameapparatus, the combination of a piston forA supporting playing pieces, a verticalstem upon which `said piston is mounted, a

seat for said piston, yielding means on said stem urging said piston onto said seat, a striking member engageable with the lower end of said stem,

yielding means of greater strength than the first mentioned Ayielding means normally urging said striking member against a positive stop in which position it raises the said stem to lift the piston off its seat; a manually turnable shaft, and meansy engageablewith said striking member and operated 'by'v the turning of said shaft for retracting said striking member from vthe stem-end and thereafter releasingy it to permit its vyielding means to impel it against the stemend and thereby to agitate the playing pieces on the piston.` I

6. Ina game apparatus, the combination of a piston for supporting playing pieces, a vertical stem uponthe upper end of which said .piston is mounted, a seat for-,said piston through which the stem slidingly extends, an impact member adapted to strike the lower end of the stem to impel it upwardly, and a' compression spring mounted uponthe stem-below said seat adapted normally to urge the piston toward said seat,

RoY W. MILLER.'

`and to be` compressedby upward movement of the stem so as to limit the extent of said upward H movement. l 

